Rosario, Aug 09 (V7N) – Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi has returned to his hometown of Rosario to bid farewell to his father, Jorge Messi, who died at the age of 68 after a prolonged illness.
Messi arrived in Rosario at around 8:41pm local time on Saturday (August 8), according to Argentine media outlet El Día. He travelled from Miami, United States, after receiving news of his father's death.
Upon arriving in Rosario, Messi was joined by his mother Celia Cuccittini, brothers Rodrigo and Matias, sister Maria Sol and other close family members and relatives.
The Messi family has decided to keep Jorge Messi's final farewell strictly private. No public funeral or gathering will be held, and details of the ceremony have been kept away from the media.
Jorge Messi's body is expected to be buried at the Parque del Sol cemetery in the Villa Gobernador Gálvez area of Rosario. However, the exact time of the burial and other details have not been disclosed.
Messi's football commitments have also been affected by his father's death. He was scheduled to feature for Inter Miami in a Leagues Cup match against Mexican club Monterrey on Saturday but was withdrawn from the squad due to the family situation.
Jorge Messi was one of the most influential figures in Lionel Messi's football career. He served as his son's agent for many years and was closely involved in managing his professional and business affairs.
He was also with Lionel during the early stages of his move to Barcelona as a teenager in 2000, when the young Messi left Argentina to pursue his football career in Spain.
Messi remained close to his father throughout his illness. Following Jorge's death, the Argentine star has temporarily put his football commitments aside and returned to Rosario to be with his family during this difficult time.
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